The Swiss government said Wednesday it has chosen to renew its fighter fleet with 22 copies of the Saab Gripen of Sweden, preferred to Dassault Aviation's Rafale and the Eurofighter consortium which includes the European EADS.
Switzerland was launched three years ago the tender for the renewal of its fleet, now consisting of F-5E / F Tiger built by the American Northrop, whose older copies have been flying since 1976.
She originally planned to order up to 33 devices.
You can be less than an hour away from having your next batch of business cards printed. And the best part is that you don't have to spend a cent on the design and proof. All you have to do is to order your
online business cards.
To believe an important elected PASOK in power, Prime Minister George Papandreou resigned after agreement on a transitional government will be concluded in Greece, possibly as early as Sunday evening.
Objectives, duration and the choice of the directing personality similar government must be acquired before the start of the power of the current prime minister, said on national television MP Telemachos Hitiris.
"Just wait for the announcement of the (selection) Prime Minister in the cabinet. Everything must be done in the day, otherwise it will be hell tomorrow," he warned.
Faurecia announced Friday the successful refinancing for a $ 1.5 billion, the group has launched Monday.
These operations include a bond due in December 2016, for $ 350 million with a coupon of 9.375%, said the automotive supplier in a statement.
The refinancing of Faurecia also involves a new syndicated loan of 1,150 million, consisting of two bands A (690 million euros) and B (460 million), respectively of maturity in November 2014 and November 2016.
These two operations will allow us to prepay a loan of 250 million euros made by Peugeot in conjunction with the refinancing of the existing syndicated bank also said Faurecia.
The European Union has every confidence in Greece with regard to compliance with its commitments made at the EU summit last week, when a new aid package of € 130 billion was reached, said Tuesday the two main leaders of the euro area.
"We note the intention of the Greek authorities to hold a referendum," write the European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso in a joint statement.
"We believe that this agreement is the best for Greece.We have every confidence in Greece to honor the commitments made to the euro area and the international community. "
José Manuel Barroso and Herman Van Rompuy added that they spoke with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou and said that the referendum question would be discussed on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Cannes, which runs from November 3 to 5.
Unemployment in Spain jumped to 21.5% in the third quarter, against 20.9% for the period April to June, show figures released Friday by the National Institute of Statistics.
Economists polled by Reuters had expected that the unemployment rate in the fourth largest economy in the euro area, the highest in the European Union, remains unchanged from the second quarter.
Caterpillar reported Monday a record turnover and a 44% jump in profit in the third quarter, well above analysts' expectations.
With demand strong, the world's largest earth-moving machinery and equipment for the mining industry posted net earnings of $ 1.14 billion, or $ 1.71 per share, against 792 million, or 1.22 dollar per share, a year earlier.Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I / B / E / S on average expected $ 1.54 per share.
In pre-market, the title earned 3% after these announcements.
The turnover stood at 15.72 billion dollars between July and September, up 41%, the group called a record, as the market anticipated 15.03 billion dollars.
For all of 2011, Caterpillar said he expected sales to about $ 58 billion, including its recent acquisition of Bacyrus, whereas previously anticipated sales of between 56 and 58 billion.
Earnings per share are now expected to 6.75 dollars for the year, on top of an initial forecast range from 6.25 to 6.75 dollars.
For 2012, Caterpillar expects its sales climbed 10% to 20%.
LyondellBasell group wants to close its refinery in Berre, in the Bouches-du-Rhone. If the project is completed, France will have lost three refineries in a year. The number of hexagonal site will be increased from 23 to 10 in the space of 40 years. Employees of the LyondellBasell refinery in Berre, in a social movement in 2010.
The carnage continues for oil refineries. Total after Dunkirk in 2010 and Petroplus to Reichstett (Bas-Rhin) in June, the American petrochemical company LyondellBasell announced Tuesday plans to close its refinery in Berre, in the Bouches-du-Rhone, which it considers unprofitable .
The site employs 370 employees in a petrochemical complex in 1270 employees will lose 120 million euros a year depending on the direction. But the group failed to sell it. No less than "85 entities around the world were approached during the sale process, to no avail.The refinery has in fact been no bid "has he explained. This ensures that only 370 jobs are directly affected refining risk. But unions argue that the loss of jobs could extend to the entire complex.
In response, nearly a thousand employees voted in a general meeting Tuesday the start of a "strike hard" for 48 hours. Wednesday, the entire petrochemical complex was shut down. Between 200 and 300 employees are present for locking, according to unions. The next general meeting is scheduled this Thursday at noon. Those decisions involved a year to the day after the start of great social movement that paralyzed almost all French refineries and caused a fuel shortage.
General meetings in nine out of ten sites
And the risk of a new scale strike is beginning to emerge.The movement of employees of LyondellBasell could spread, even if solidarity is shy at the moment. Employees of nine of the ten French refineries have held general meetings on Wednesday. And could lead to possible actions. But for now, only employees of the Total refinery at Donges, Loire-Atlantique, voted in favor of an immediate movement but symbolic: a decline in production to a minimum flow for 24 hours.
On the side of the Total refinery in Gonfreville l'Orcher, near Le Havre, general meetings were also held. But only a third of the participants voted in favor of a strike and the unions did not consider the results sufficient to initiate an action. A Fos-sur-Mer, in the ExxonMobil refinery, there was no general meeting.
The situation could change Friday.A meeting of employees of the four sites in the area of Berre be held and could lead to possible actions. If the strike is decided, it could spread to other refineries.
France lost 12 refineries in 40 years
The future seems to darken French refineries from year to year. There were 23 in the late 70's, there are no more than 11 still active today. And the closure of the Berre could add to this sad list. Refineries "are in excess production capacity, and do not have sufficient opportunities" because of "demand is very sluggish," said Jean-Louis Schilansky President of the French Union of Petroleum Industries (Ufip). It will even "operating loss of several hundred million euros" in 2011, a trend in "neighbor" of 2009, when they lost 1 billion euros, "he added.According to Les Echos, refining margins, which represent the difference between the price of refined products and their production costs, decreased by 60% between 2008 and 2009. And are now at a "crisis level".
French refineries were in effect in 2010, almost 82 million tonnes of petroleum products like gasoline, diesel or fuel oil. But demand remains well below capacity. Consumption in France in 2010 reached 33.6 million tonnes of diesel and 8.2 million tonnes of gasoline. "Since 2007, there was a drop in consumption in Europe related to energy conservation, and the phenomenon is exacerbated by economic crises," said Constancio Silva, an economist at the French Petroleum Institute-New Energies.
"The divestitures or closures inevitable"
He said the refiners were not able to adapt to changes in demand.They suffered from the rise of the French nuclear fleet. This has indeed led to a decline in demand for heavy fuel oil, which was used previously to operate power plants.
In addition, refiners have invested in the 70 and 80, in units of gasoline production, then the fuel most consumed in France. But they were surprised by the explosion in demand for diesel, accentuated by a favorable tax and lower consumption of diesel engines. The sale of diesel fuel currently represents 75% of fuel sales in France. Motorists consume 33 million tons, but French production capacity amounts to only 20 million. Refineries hexagonal therefore find themselves being forced to export 30% of its production of gasoline, including the United States where, again, demand has slowed.According to the Professional Committee of oil, gasoline sales abroad have in fact fallen by 20%. And Parellel, oil companies are forced to buy diesel fuel abroad, which increases their expenses.
In this context, "ultimately, disposals or closures will be inevitable," says the Ufip. Pessimism that refuses to admit the unions. In response to the closure of the Berre, CFDT and CGT federations in the industry, oil chemistry yelled "stop the slaughter." "This announcement is unacceptable. For it is not linked solely to the problems of weak refining margins and the inadequacy of the means of production with the market, the surplus of gasoline and diesel deficit" Have they denounced.
According to them, refinery closures meet market logic and a lack of investment.The FNIC-CGT calls "a multi-year investment" on the basis of the report of the French Institute of Petroleum, which presented June 22, through investment, featured tracks of development for French refineries.
An argument shared by Thomas Porcher, PhD in economics author of "A barrel of oil against 100 lies." He said the lack of investment to change the production structure of French refineries explains their lack of profitability. "Despite the record profits from the price effect of rising oil prices, these investments were ousted in favor of a preference for investments in refineries near the mining areas. This is the case Total in Saudi Arabia with the Jubail refinery example. It can produce low-cost, because of its proximity to the deposits.But it is especially with a modern production system to adapt the ratio diesel / petrol desired. The problem of refining French could no longer be similar "to a lay-sector" including the means of production have become unsuitable as a problem of competitiveness. While the first causes the second "he says.
Wall Street opened up Friday, contrary to what foreshadowed the future, which indicated a first down and then open with little variation.
Some thought that profit-taking would arise from the opening given the gains accumulated in four sessions. If the opening movement continues, the S & P 500 is on track louse save his best week since early July.
For now, he earns 0.5% to 1215.33. The Dow Jones ahead by 0.5% to 11,488.73. The Nasdaq Composite Index is 0.3% to 2615.08.
Fellows prepare for the publication of the index of consumer confidence published by the University of Michigan. It is intended to 56.5 against 55.7 in August.
Boeing gained 1% to 64.98 dollars.Air France-KLM announced plan to order 110 aircraft divided equally between Airbus and the American manufacturer.
Yahoo takes 1.5% to 15.11 dollars. According to the media, the private equity fund Silver Lake is considering an offer.
The Court of Appeal of Paris Thursday approved the waiver of tender offer (OPA) given to Hermes by the Financial Markets Authority (AMF), giving the luxury group the green light to build his family holding company .
To counter the aims of LVMH, who had taken a surprise 17% stake in Hermes October 2010 (which has since increased this stake to 21.4%), the family shareholders of Hermes had opted for the creation a privately held holding company comprising 50.2% of the capital.
Legally obliged to launch a takeover bid for the balance, they had requested a waiver that had been granted by the AMF in January and has been an appeal by the Association for the defense of minority shareholders ( Adam).
The trading of the Hermes is suspended on Thursday.It will resume Friday.
Release said this morning that the CNT had reserved 35% of the black gold to France in exchange for his support for the rebellion. A soldier in the camp of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi near the oil refinery in Ras Lanouf, March 12, 2011.
The representative in Paris of the National Transition Council, the governing body of the rebellion Jamahiriya, denied Thursday that the CNT has signed with France a document promising him 35% of Libyan oil, in a statement to AFP.
Hours before the start of a summit dedicated to the democratic reconstruction of Libya in Paris, the French daily Liberation published a letter dated April 3, headed the "Popular Front for the Liberation of Libya" and addressed to the Emir of Qatar in which the CNT said it has signed an "agreement to give 35% of total crude oil in exchange for French support to our total and permanent
I've never heard of this front, "responded Mansour Sayf al-Nasr, special envoy of the CNT in Paris." All documents, all treaties are signed valid CNT ", he argued, rejecting any other document as invalid. The governing body of the Libyan rebels are known, since late February that as the National Transition Council.The only reference to a "Liberation Front" on the Internet refers to the letter of April 3, published by Liberation on Thursday and runs for weeks on the web.
Asked on RTL radio on Thursday, the French foreign minister Alain Juppe said "not aware of such a letter." "The CNT has said very formally in the reconstruction, he addressed preferentially to those who supported him, which seems quite logical and fair," he said, repeating does not have "knowledge of formal agreement. " "We are not alone. The Italians, the Americans are there," he said.
From London, the representative of al-CNT Guma Gamaty assured that future contracts on the exploitation of Libyan oil shall be granted "based on merit, not patronage."Libya, the fourth largest producer in Africa (after Nigeria, Angola and Algeria), exported before the insurrection against the regime of Muammar Gaddafi 80% of its black gold to Europe, especially Italy and France.
Libya has the largest oil reserves in Africa, with 44 billion barrels, far ahead of Nigeria (37.2 billion barrels) and Algeria (12.2 billion). These large companies are Italy's Eni, French giant Total and the Anglo-American BP, Shell and ExxonMobil. The country has also almost doubled its exports of natural gas in recent years, 5.4 billion m3 per year in 2005 to over 10 billion m3 of this year, according to OPEC, through a new pipeline to the Italy. Its reserves are estimated at 1,540 billion m3.In early August, the CNT was committed to honor, "he will govern as a temporary", "all financial contracts and petroleum agreements under Gaddafi."
